Coming Home
by timeaftertime09
Summary: <html><head></head>Betty fears Daniel's hiding the worst from her while he's in New York. Sequel to "Home for Christmas".</html>
1. Chapter 1

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to be on," Daniel greeted her on Skype.

"Sorry – there was a power outage this morning which made everything at the printer back up, meaning I had to stay late to sign off on the next issue since the newest publication is always the last on the agenda. When I finally got home, I burned the leftovers I was going to have for dinner and had to order takeout. Then the stupid pipe in the bathroom sink started leaking again and when I tried to fix it, it burst. It took forever to get the super to come – I _swear_ the freakin' bathroom would've flooded if I hadn't wrapped ten towels around the leak while I was waiting. I was sopping wet, but I couldn't move to change. And that damn pervert kept ogling me – ahhhh!" she let out a scream of frustration.

"Whoa! Calm down," he tried to soothe her.

"I'm sorry – it was just a horrible day . . ." she trailed off, burying her head in her hands.

"It's okay. I wish I could've been there for you. Maybe I could've fixed the leak for you if nothing else," he said.

"Right . . . Daniel, you can barely hang a picture," she smirked.

"Well I could've at least protected you from that sick son of a bitch. I don't like other guys looking at you," he defended.

"_My hero . . ."_ she fake-swooned.

Daniel shook his head.

"You know, I think we need to have a serious fight with some water balloons, because I can't get this image of you out of my mind now," he flirted.

Betty giggled.

"_Now_ who's the sick one?" she teased.

"Hey – I'm allowed," he excused.

"Point taken. And I've gotta admit I'm getting an image of you in my head, too," she smiled. "Besides – I'd _totally_ beat you,"

"Really?" he smirked.

"Yes, _really_. Hilda and I used to have them all the time in the summer. We couldn't go to the pool all the time, so we had fights with balloons and the water hose. I could _so_ kick your ass!" she teased.

"I'm learning more and more about you every day . . ." he grinned, sexily.

She rolled eyes and smiled. It was impossible to resist his charm.

"So how was _your_ day?" she wondered. "Hopefully better than mine,"

"Mom sends her love and to tell you 'It's about damn time'," Daniel chuckled.

Betty snickered. Typical Claire – blatantly saying 'I told you so'.

"How was dinner with her?" she asked.

"It was nice - normal motherly nagging. But she at least is happy about us," he said.

"I had a feeling she would be. I thought she was nuts at my going away party – but she was right, and I got the impression she was happy about it, too. Not indifferent – but happy you had feelings for me . . . almost like she was pulling for us all along or something," Betty reflected.

"Yeah, I think Mom has kinda been on that since the editors' retreat we went on a few years ago. Remember when you sent the message in sky-writing?" he asked.

"Yeah?" she said.

"Well, before it came, she noticed I had a crush and assumed it was on you. It was actually on Molly, but even then she saw something between us," he mused.

"Parents are so perceptive. I wonder if my dad knew?" she said.

"Your dad? I can't count how many times I asked him for advice about love. He may not have said anything, but he had to have known," Daniel laughed.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess we had to be hit over the head with it until we figured it out though – especially me. Sorry for that . . . It took me longer to get there, but I'm in this for keeps," she admitted.

"Me, too. And I don't blame you anymore. I get now why you didn't jump in my arms the second I told you. It wasn't fair of me . . . you needed time and I was too impatient and hurt to give it to you. But we're past all that now," he assured her.

"And finally together – well, sort of," she joked.

"Right. So . . . are things any better at work?" Daniel asked.

"If you mean any less chaotic – no. I think I finally have an idea of what your father went through when he started his first magazine," Betty replied.

"It'll get better. After your first few issues, you'll be doing it in your sleep," he encouraged her.

"Easy for _you_ to say. MODE was already a well-established magazine when you took over. You had a model and a bigger budget to fall back on," she said.

"Yeah, but I also had an enormous reputation to maintain – prove that I could make it even better. You were able to start from scratch. I know it's scary not knowing what will sell and what won't, but you'll make it work. And pretty soon, your mag will have the popularity of MODE," Daniel assured her.

"I hope so – I'd settle for enough to keep it running, right now," she sighed. "Things are pretty tight,"

"Have you tried to post anything on the web? Like a blog or some articles. Maybe some advertising on other sites to get people interested?" he asked.

"No. But those are good ideas. More people are using the internet for everything . . . What do you think about offering subscriptions over the internet?" Betty contemplated.

"You mean a place where they could sign up to subscribe?" he wondered.

"No, I mean a digital subscription – where they could download each issue and read it on their computer or on their Kindle or IPod," she clarified.

"Betty, that's brilliant! A lot of people don't like carrying around a ton of books or magazines and that could get those people interested _and_ save money on the printer. Plus, more mags are starting to go the digital route these days. MODE's even working on a version from what Mom's said," Daniel told her.

"So you really think I should present the idea to Lindsay?" she asked.

"Go for it. He'll be a fool if he doesn't listen to you," he said.

"Thank you," she shyly smiled.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he flirted.

"Daniel . . ." she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not kidding. I wish I could reach through the screen and kiss those rosy cheeks," he smirked.

"_Stop!_ Now they really _are_ red!" she giggled.

Daniel chuckled.

"_God_, I miss you . . ." he smiled.

"I miss you, too, babe," she said as they just stared at each other for a minute, before she broke the silence. "So I think I found us a place, but I want your final approval on it first. You're still coming this weekend, right?"

"Baby, I'm sorry. I know I said I would, but something came up and I can't get out of it," Daniel told her.

It was the third time he had made an excuse. They were only supposed to be apart for a month, while he got everything settled in New York. Now she was beginning to wonder if he really would move to London . . . if he really wanted to be with her after all . . .

"Is everything okay?" she wondered.

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just something I need to take care of," he answered.

"What are you not telling me?" Betty was tired of all the vague responses.

"Nothing. There's nothing to tell," Daniel said in a high-pitched voice.

"Okay, now I _know_ something's up," she concluded.

"How do you always _do_ that?" he complained.

"One of the perks of knowing you so well," she teased. "But don't change the subject!"

"I can't say what it is, okay. You just have to trust me," Daniel requested.

"But Daniel . . ." she objected.

"Betty, please. I promise – this has nothing to do with us. I love you and I'll come see you as soon as I can. You have no idea how much I want to be with you right now. I just can't," he tried to explain.

"Okay. I trust you," Betty reluctantly said.

It wasn't that she didn't, only she couldn't help but be suspicious of his secrecy. They had never kept things from each other. In fact, her not discussing the move to London in the first place almost ruined their friendship. He should know that, right? That they didn't work that way . . . that they were a team . . .

"Betty?" Daniel snapped her back to reality.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"I just said I needed to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" he promised.

"K," Betty sighed.

"Hey," he said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I love you," he told her.

"Love you, too," she smiled and closed her laptop, fighting the voice in her head that wouldn't let it go.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for your reviews! I won't leave you hanging any longer - or maybe I will . . . lol. :)_

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"Hey, baby sister!" Hilda greeted Betty.

"Hey," Betty replied.

"So we finally saved up enough to buy some new furniture. I can't wait for you to see the apartment now!" she said.

"Great!" Betty faked excitement.

"We got a new sectional and a big flat screen with an entertainment center – I finally feel like we're in this century," she laughed. "And of course Bobby and Justin are happier now that there's a DVR - you wouldn't believe the fights they had over Fashion TV vs. ESPN. They love each other, but I think that thing has saved me from goin' loca,"

"Good," Betty replied.

"And guess who stopped by today?" she said.

"Who?" Betty asked, preoccupied.

"Your gorgeous new man," she answered.

"Oh?" Betty's interest peaked.

"Yeah, said he thought he'd come visit us while he was in the city," Hilda said.

"Ok," she told her, unenthused.

"Ay, Chica! No gushing about how sweet he is? What's goin' on with you two?" Hilda wondered.

"Nothing . . . that I know of, that is," Betty answered, ambiguously.

"What the hell does _that_ mean?" her older sister demanded.

"He's hiding something from me – something big. He promised it wasn't about us, but he won't tell me. We tell each other everything . . . I don't know what to do," Betty sighed.

"You don't trust him?" she assumed.

"I want to . . . He's never given me a reason not to, but I can't ignore this stupid voice in my head," Betty confessed.

"You think he's cheating on you?" Hilda guessed.

"_Now_ I do!" Betty groaned.

"Really? Daniel? I know he's got a rep as a player, but he's changed, right? That man held a torch for you for almost a _year_ after you turned him down. Do you really think he's shoppin' in the 'Slut Department' again, when you guys just got together?" she reasoned.

"No . . . but there has to be _some_ reason why he won't tell me what's going on," she maintained.

"There's only one way to find out – I'm tailin' his ass!" Hilda declared.

"_Hilda!_" she protested, ready to hang up the phone on her.

"_Whaaat?_ Least you'd know . . ." she defended.

"One, it's deceitful. And two, you _suck_ at being inconspicuous! Remember all the times Dad caught you sneaking in through the bedroom window after your dates with Santos?" Betty pointed out.

"This is different – like detective work. I'll just wait around his office building tomorrow night and see where he goes. There's gotta be _some_ kinda clue about what he's up to, right?" Hilda continued to push.

"Fine," Betty huffed. "But wear your flats and something extremely low-key. You'll be a dead give-away in anything else. And be careful! If Daniel finds out, I could lose him for good,"

"I _swear_ I won't get caught. Trust me, Mamita – I got this," Hilda promised.

"Seems like I've been asked to do that a lot lately," Betty grumbled.

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"You're not gonna like this . . ." Hilda warned over the phone.

"How bad is it?" Betty sighed.

"I caught him havin' dinner with a blonde bimbo. They were at Madison 6 by the window," she informed her.

"Okay. No need to panic – it could've been a business dinner. Daniel was probably trying to persuade a rich executive to contribute to his foundation," Betty reasoned.

"Betty, I saw them hugging and flirting like their lives depended on it," Hilda said.

"There _has_ to be another explanation for it. Daniel knows there's press everywhere. If he was cheating on me, he'd do it in a hotel or his apartment," Betty tried to think rationally.

"Chica, I hate to say this, but Daniel's not the smartest guy sometimes. Remember all the dumbass things you told me he's done before?" Hilda pointed out.

"Yeah . . . but he's changed. After everything that happened with Molly – he's grown," she still wasn't quite ready to give up on him.

"Look, I'm not tryin' to ruin this for you. I've been secretly pullin' for you two to get your acts together for a couple of years now," Hilda confessed.

"You, too? Why didn't you come out and say it? It's what you usually do," Betty said, surprised.

"Betty, Daniel was your _boss._ Things between you guys were complicated. I could see how close you were to him and how much you both stuck up for each other, but I didn't wanna push 'cause for once I thought you needed to figure it out on your own. But I did give you a little hint in my speech at the wedding, when you _finally_ asked him on a date . . ." she smirked.

"You were talking about _us?_" Betty exclaimed.

"Well, not _totally_, but I knew it went for you, too," Hilda admitted. "You shoulda seen the expression on Daniel's face. It was like the biggest light bulb went off in his head and when he turned and looked at you . . . he knew somethin' had changed,"

"So _that's_ why he started acting a little weird. I caught him staring at me a few times when we were dancing. And after I was telling him how happy I was that all of you guys were doing so well on your own, he smiled at me and said that 'All is right in the world'. Now that I think about it, I think he meant with us, too. There I was, planning a future without him, and he was thinking we had the rest of our lives to figure things out . . ." she trailed off, slightly misty-eyed.

"_Aww . . ._ Sweetie, you didn't know. And Daniel has been such a good man to you, but I also don't wanna see you get hurt. Sometimes people _do_ change, but when they get a taste of what life used to be, they get sucked back into it again. I'm just sayin'," Hilda told her.

"I know. I just don't think we should jump to conclusions. We don't even know who this woman is. I remember Daniel had to flirt with a few investors while he was at MODE just to get them to sign. This is probably the same thing," Betty maintained.

"Okay . . . but I'm gonna follow him tonight, too. If he's still with that bitch, somethin's wrong!" Hilda insisted.

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"Finally! I thought you'd never get on – and I'm about to do some serious ass-kicking, if you don't!" Hilda told Betty when she got on Skype.

"What? What happened?" Betty wondered.

"Looks like your man's not so innocent. His 'investor' as you'd call her, is his ex-girlfriend," she said, holding up a tabloid 'Meade Double Dates with Brother & Ex'.

"Wait – that's Tyler – maybe it's _his_ ex?" Betty reached.

"Unh-uh. You're in denial, baby sister. I followed Daniel last night, too. He had his arm around Little Miss Valerie and was helpin' her with her chair . . . You need to confront him – especially now that the press caught him," she told her.

"I just can't believe this. Why would he lie to me? Why would he tell me it had nothing to do with us, when obviously it does? I thought we had something. I know I was stupid and I broke his heart, but I never meant to hurt him . . . He said we were past it . . . Maybe he's trying to get back at me," she sniffled.

"I don't know, Betty. But I _do_ know that he's a freakin' jackass for cheating on you. And if he thinks he can get away with it, he's loco en la cabeza!" Hilda assured her.

"I just – I-I don't know what to do," she shakily said.

"You come here and kick his sorry ass - then let me and Bobby at him!" Hilda told her.

"Hilda - I don't want him killed . . . maybe have trouble walking for a few days . . ." Betty half-joked. "But I can't just take off work and catch the next flight to New York. Do you know how bad that would look to Lindsay – that I was letting my personal life get in the way of business? Not to mention I don't even have the money to book a last minute flight – do you know how expensive those things are?"

"Yeah, but you've gotta do something, Mamita. I can't stand to see Daniel get away with this while you suffer – it's not right," she said.

"Yeah . . . He's supposed to call me tonight. I'll figure it out," Betty agreed. "Thanks, Hilda. Just don't do or say anything until I talk to him,"

"Promise," Hilda swore.

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"Hey, sexy," Daniel playfully greeted her that night.

"_Don't_ do that," Betty huffed.

"Do what?" he asked, innocently.

"Pretend like everything's okay," she snapped. "I need to see you,"

"Okay, let me go get my laptop," he said.

"No, Daniel. I mean in person," she clarified.

"Betty, you know I can't leave right now," Daniel reminded her.

"If you ever cared for me at all, you can manage to fly in for one day," she insisted.

"_Oh, god_ . . . Is this about that article on page six of the Examiner? Baby, as long as you've worked in publishing, you know the media makes up ninety-nine percent of that crap," he tried to brush it off.

"Don't patronize me! I'm not one of your brainless models," she retorted. "I know tabloids twist the truth, but I also know you've been hiding something – or someone - from me. Look, I don't wanna talk about it like this. Just please tell me you'll be here tomorrow?"

There was a long pause. Maybe he didn't care enough after all.

"Fine. But I still think you're making something out of nothing," he conceded.

"_Daniel . . ._" she warned.

"Sorry. I'll book the jet and text you the details," he sighed. "I love you, Betty – you believe me, right?"

"I-I'll see you tomorrow," she told him, hanging up before the tears began to flow.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for your feedback - it's much loved! Here's the next addition . . . :)_

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Betty opened the door to find a jet-lagged Daniel holding a dozen red Gerbera daisies. Part of her ached to feel him in her arms again . . . to kiss his lips and toss out all her reservations . . . But the rest of her knew better than to be played. She begrudgingly accepted the flowers, but when he bent down to kiss her, she felt herself flinch.

"_Don't_ touch me after you've been with her!" she snapped.

"_Damn it_,_ Betty_, are we really doing this? I thought you of all people weren't so quick to judge," Daniel said, shutting the door behind him.

"Fine. Explain to me why the hell you went out _in public_ with your _ex-girlfriend_ and then claim it has nothing to do with us? Because it _does_, Daniel!" she demanded.

"_You're wrong_ – it's not what you think," he insisted.

"Then what is it? Tell me what's going on!" Betty pleaded.

"I can't," Daniel said.

"Why not? Do I mean that little to you that you can't even let me know why you're hiding things from me? Why you're cheating on me with that slut?" she shouted.

"She's not a slut!" he defended.

"Okay, I'm done!" Betty threw up her hands in disgust. "You've obviously found someone that's better suited for you –"

"_No – shit!_ I-I said the wrong thing first!" his voice rose an octave as he began to panic. "I'm not cheating on you, okay? I swear to god, Betty, you're the only woman for me,"

"How am I supposed to believe that, Daniel? How the hell can I trust you when there are pictures and articles telling me different and you refuse to tell me the truth?" she exclaimed.

Daniel looked at the floor, unable to answer her.

"Is this some way of getting back at me? Stringing me along, making me think we had a future together only to be sleeping with someone else the whole time?" she accused. "Daniel, I loved you – more than anything in this world. And whatever I've done in the past to hurt you, I'll always regret it. The last thing I've ever wanted to do was break your heart. I was scared and overwhelmed from all of the change . . . I'm so sorry for what I did –"

"Betty . . ." Daniel said, reaching out to her.

"No! Let me finish . . ." she swatted his hand away. "For you to do this out of spite is just utter cruelty. And from all of the years I've known you, I've never seen that side of you – I didn't believe it existed . . . until now. I honestly thought we had something, but I guess I was wrong. You're the same man-whore you were when I met you!"

She could tell her words stung, but didn't care.

"Betty, please don't give up on me – on us. Just . . . come here for a minute," he took her hand led her to the couch, never letting go. "I know I've been secretive and careless and I have no right to expect you to put up with it any longer. But I'm asking you to please believe me. I would never do anything to hurt you – I love you so much, baby . . . anytime you're in pain, I am, too. You're a part of me – the best part. I would never let that go,"

As Betty listened to his heartfelt apology, she felt her walls slowly come down – but only halfway.

"But you did – let me go. Not telling me what's going on, having dinner with your ex-girlfriend . . . Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?" she replied.

"Betty, there are things you don't understand. I would explain them if I could – _I swear!_ But I can't," he excused.

"Are you in trouble? Is someone blackmailing you or your family?" she worried.

"No – no it's nothing like that. I-I shouldn't be telling you this – it's not my place to tell – but I'm helping someone out. They don't want anyone to know about it – that's why I can't say anything, okay?" Daniel revealed.

"Okay . . ." she cautiously took his explanation in. "If whoever this 'someone' is doesn't want anyone to know their secret, what does that have to do with you taking your ex-girlfriend out to dinner twice?"

"Betty, I – Wait – how did you know we went to dinner _two_ times - the papers only mentioned one?" he caught her slip-up.

_Shit!_ She never should have let Hilda talk her into the whole spying thing.

"I-I was venting to Hilda about how you were hiding something and she convinced me to let her follow you a couple of times," Betty confessed.

"You _what?_ _Jesus_, Betty – how _could_ you? I asked you to trust me and you sneak around my back and have your sister stalk me like the goddamn Mob? Was she gonna sic Bobby and his cousins after me the second she caught me in a compromising position? I can't believe you have so little faith in me that the _one _time I don't let you know something you're off tracking me down! How am I supposed to trust _you,_ now?" he yelled.

"I-I'm sorry! It was all Hilda's idea and I didn't want to do it, but I just –" she stammered.

"You just thought I might be cheating on you because of my past," he finished.

"Yeah – I know you've changed but you kept keeping secrets and I'm still me," Betty admitted. "I may have changed my hair and wardrobe . . . got my braces removed and switched to contacts . . . but I'll never look like a model – not even close. And I'm fine with that, but sometimes I think maybe a part of you isn't. Why else would you have slept with all of them in the first place?"

"Because I was a shallow, self-centered dumbass," he answered. "I thought if I screwed all those models I was proving something – that if my father thought Alex was the golden boy, let him. I'd do whatever the hell I wanted . . . and then it became therapy . . . but eventually I wanted more. You made me see that, Betty. You were the one person who believed in me no matter what. You're everything I could possibly want, and if you don't see that by now, I don't know how else to prove it to you,"

Betty stared at the floor, ashamed that she was so insecure. She'd battled it her entire life, and here she had this man sitting beside her who honestly didn't care how she looked or acted . . . loved her as much as she loved him . . . the only man she could honestly picture spending the rest of her life with . . . She looked up at him, meeting his pleading blue eyes.

Daniel inched himself toward her, pressing his lips to hers. Betty was unsure at first, then allowed her lips to part and lock with his. As his tongue slipped into the warmth of her mouth, she softly whimpered and tugged him against her, closing the space between them. And, if only briefly, she let herself escape into the moment.

But then her damned conscience kicked in – the one that reminded her of the elephant still in the room. The one that told her there were still major issues left unresolved. And as Daniel's hand expertly maneuvered up her sweater, she resisted.

"No! W-We can't – _I_ can't. I can't do this," she slid out of his arms and began to pace across the floor in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"What's _wrong?_" she repeated_._ "_God, Daniel _– the same things that were wrong before I let my baser instincts take over! You still haven't told me what that woman has to do with any of this! Did you think we'd just have a great round of sex and I'd forget about it – that it'd just disappear like it never existed?"

"Maybe . . ." he boyishly grinned, coming over to her.

Betty glared at him, far from amused.

"Okay, no! I-I don't know what you _want_ from me! I've told you all I could – why can't that be enough for you?" he replied, desperately.

She held back a scream.

"Who is she? How long did you date her? Is she the one you're helping?" she questioned.

He ran his hand through his hair and caved.

"She's a girlfriend from junior high - we grew up together. I dated her for a week . . . and I can't tell you that," he revealed.

She slowly exhaled.

"Is she that important to you that you'd risk losing me over whatever the hell is going on with her? Because honestly, Daniel, that's how it looks!" she said.

"She's not! _You_ are _everything_, Betty!" he maintained. "But I can't do it. You _have_ to understand that,"

"I-I can't, Daniel – and I _won't_. The whole situation is too ambiguous for me to trust you. And I can't live without trust," she said, adamantly.

"Betty, do you still love me?" he carefully asked.

"More than anything," she answered, choking back tears.

"Then we can get through this," Daniel insisted, tears pooling in his own eyes.

Betty shook her head, refusing to look him in the eyes for fear she wouldn't have enough strength to stand her ground.

"Sometimes love isn't enough," she said quietly, before walking to the bedroom and shutting the door.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you again for reading and for your reviews! :) Here's the next chapter . . ._

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After crying herself hoarse, Betty lay curled up in her bed reflecting on everything with Daniel – from the moment they had met up until right then. All of their fun times – dancing, crashing wedding receptions, singing karaoke, movie nights, dinners with her family . . . the intimate things they'd shared . . . even the arguments . . . the way they'd always hug and make up afterwards . . . How he'd give her that smile with a twinkle in his eye, making her feel so happy that they would always be friends . . . then to the moment where she had broken his heart . . . and the moment he had forgiven her for it, all those months later . . .

She hugged the covers closer to her body. Was it worth giving Daniel up? Was she being too hard on him? Was she being too petty, expecting him to be so perfect? After all, perfection had never been his strength. Daniel was flawed, but that was one of the reasons she loved him. He appeared to be the ideal man – sexy, charismatic, rich, famous . . . but he had problems and idiosyncrasies, just like anyone else.

He didn't open up to just anyone. But once he finally let you in, he had one of the biggest hearts she'd ever seen. He'd do anything for the people he cared about. The lengths he had gone to for her, over the years, were proof of that. And if she were in his position, right then, wouldn't she do the same? What if Amanda or Marc – even Matt, Gio, or Henry - needed her help and didn't want anyone to know. Would she tell Daniel? Would she let him in against their wishes? If it were a choice between their feelings or her relationship with Daniel – she would choose Daniel in a heartbeat. It hurt to know he wouldn't do the same . . . that he didn't trust her enough to keep whatever the situation was a secret.

Didn't he know by now that she wouldn't let anything leak out? She'd lied to the police for him, for god's sake! All the sneaky, devious things she had done all those years at MODE . . . all the times she had supported him . . . made sure Wilhelmina didn't run over him . . . got him over his sex and drug addictions, out of a cult . . . comforted him through break-ups and the deaths of his father and his wife . . . the transition of being a father to an uncle . . . put her job, family, and/or love life on the line for him . . . He almost always came first with her - why didn't she with him? Why was this ex-girlfriend so special?

She tossed and turned, barely getting any sleep at all. She looked at the clock - 1:47AM. At least she didn't have to get up for work. Maybe a glass of milk and a couple of those brownies she'd bought the other day would help . . . She rolled out of bed and opened the door, tripping over something that made her fall flat on her face.

"_Ow!_" she exclaimed, cringing from the pain.

She heard some sort of moaning and scrambled up, reaching for the closest weapon she could find in the dark – the broom she'd had in the hall closet next to her.

"Don't come near me! I-I have a-a broom . . . a-and I know how to use it!" she shouted, whacking whoever it was as hard as she could with the wooden stick, hearing a yelp.

"_No – stop! Aaah! Please! Damn it, Betty – it's me!_"

She knew that voice.

"_Daniel!_ What the hell are you still doing here?" she demanded, half-relieved, half-pissed, as she turned on the light.

"Sleeping, I thought – until you freakin' pommelled me with that damn thing!" he griped, clutching his stomach and rubbing his arm.

"Sorry – I thought you were a robber or god knows what else!" she defended. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just put that thing away!" he told her. "_Jesus, Betty!_ At least I don't have to worry about you taking care of yourself. If you had been an inch lower . . ."

She reveled just a little at the thought of it before sticking the broom back in the closet.

"_Why_ are you sleeping outside my bedroom door? I thought you let yourself out a long time ago," she questioned.

"I heard you crying . . . It killed me inside . . . I knew you wouldn't let me in, but I couldn't leave you – not until we worked this out. So I just stayed here . . ." he explained. "Once I heard you drift off to sleep – the sound of you breathing made me fall asleep, too. It was comforting, you know? I miss that – having you there beside me. I know it's crazy – we were only like that for a couple of days before I had to go back - but I do,"

If she hadn't been so infuriated with him, she would've kissed him.

"Come on . . ." she softened, taking his hand.

"Where are we going?" he wondered.

"To bed – where we can _both_ get some sleep," she said, leading him into her room.

"Does this mean?" he asked, hopefully.

"No – not even close! I just don't want to break my neck and I doubt you want me to break _yours_ either," she clarified.

He smiled and stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers, then crawled in next to her.

As he dared to wrap his arms around her, she didn't resist. As upset as she was with him, the warmth of his body against hers was comforting – although it would have felt much better had their pending issues been resolved. She didn't know what to do. At least he was still there . . . still willing to fight for her. She'd deal with the rest in the morning.

Betty was nearly asleep when Daniel broke the calm silence.

"Do you remember that time after Hilda and Bobby's wedding? We took some leftover cake and an extra bottle of champagne and went to the bridge?" he recalled, stroking her hair.

"Mmh . . . Yeah . . . We, uh . . . We stared at the city lights . . . and you told me again that I was 'much better than any model' . . . 'better than Trista' . . ." she said, thinking back . . .

_After hearing the words, she looked at Daniel disbelievingly._

_"Daniel, you don't have to do that. I'm not depressed – I don't need cheering up," she told him._

_"No, Betty, I mean it. You're beautiful, smart, funny, talented . . . you're amazing - and I'm lucky to even know you," he said._

_She shyly smiled up at him, thinking how adorably sweet he was . . . and that he had probably had a little too much champagne . . . She put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder, trying not to think about how she'd have to break the news to him that she was leaving._

_Daniel leaned his head against hers as he wrapped his arm around her._

_"I love this . . ." he softly whispered._

_"Me, too," she agreed._

_They stayed there for another hour, not saying a word, simply enjoying the presence of each other's company. Finally walking back, Daniel took her hand. At the time, she thought it was a normal gesture to ensure her safety, considering it was three in the morning. But looking back, she realized it was more than that . . ._

_They ended up calling the town car to take them to his place, fearing Amanda would see them at her apartment and start spreading rumors . . ._

"You fell asleep in my arms on the way home . . . I carried you in, but had to wake you up so you could change . . . You crashed as soon as you hit the bed. I tucked you in, and kissed your cheek – it was risky, but I couldn't help it. I was feeling things for you I couldn't explain . . ." Daniel revealed.

Betty smiled and turned to face him. It was difficult to stay mad at him while hearing how attentive he had been toward her in the past . . . reminiscing on the good things.

"You tried to make me breakfast the next morning . . . I woke up to the smell of burnt eggs and toast and the sound of your smoke alarm going off," she giggled. "Not the greatest when you have a hangover,"

"I was trying to make you French toast, but it obviously didn't go so well. I'll get it right, someday – I promise," Daniel said.

Her mouth formed a bittersweet expression, knowing there might never be a 'someday' if they couldn't work things out.

"Daniel . . . I don't think we should –" she gently reminded him.

"Betty, please . . . can we just stay like this a little longer?" he asked.

She admitted to herself that she was a little tired of fighting, too.

"Okay," she conceded.

He let out a sigh of relief and tightened his embrace around her. She allowed herself to relax, her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, hoping somehow they would get through everything - that she wouldn't have to let him go.


	5. Chapter 5

_I really apologize for not posting this sooner, but I unfortunately had to have emergency surgery. Thankfully, I already had most of this written before everything happened, so here is the final chapter. Thank you so much for reading and for all of your reviews - they're much appreciated! :)_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Betty woke up the next morning hoping it had all been a nightmare. Even though she could smell the same stench of burnt toast and eggs from almost a year ago, Daniel was nowhere to be found . . . maybe it was just a bad dream. Only as she went to the kitchen, it was a complete disaster – dirty pots and pans everywhere, eggshells and charred toast on the floor . . . And when she got to the coffeemaker and started to press the button, she found a Post-it:

_**Don't Touch - Broken! – Went to pick up a few things - be back soon. **_

_**Love, **_

**_Daniel _**

_**P.S. Please don't change the locks on me!**_

She couldn't help but laugh at the last part. What was she going to do? Not just about the mess, but Daniel? She kept going around in circles getting nowhere. If she didn't take him back, she lost the only man she'd loved with her entire heart and was screwed. If she did take him back, she lost her whole sense of self-worth and she was screwed – it was a Catch-22.

He was trying, she'd give him that. He refused to give up, refused to leave until they worked things out. But the one thing she needed from him was the complete truth, and he refused to give it to her. How could she live with someone who couldn't trust her – who _she_ couldn't trust? There was no solution if he couldn't let her in. And even then, how could she fully move on with him without doubting every little thing that came up in their future . . . without wondering if he wasn't hiding something else?

But god she loved him . . . so much it hurt . . . She couldn't imagine what her life would have been without him. She would probably be still working clean-up crew at the cat hospital in Queens and engaged or married to Walter, head manager of Pro-Buy – a life she had never aspired for herself. Daniel and his father had given her a chance to succeed – to work her way up in publishing, to have enough experience and exposure to go wherever she wanted. And that was just the business aspect.

In friendship and love, he had been her rock. He had stood up for her and was there for her whenever she needed him, put his job and playboy reputation on the line – even left his career for her, eventually. And when she turned him down and broke his heart, he gave her another chance. Didn't he deserve the same from her? Didn't they both deserve a chance to finally start their lives together? She wanted that so badly. But that damn voice in her head kept telling her not to give in so soon . . .

Her phone rang – Daniel was probably lost on the Tube or something. She picked it up without even bothering with the ID.

"There's a local market a couple of blocks down – you didn't need to go all the way downtown," she spoke.

"Betty, it's Tyler," the voice on the other end told her.

"Oh. Tyler? Hi. It's really early your time - is Amanda okay? Is something wrong with Claire?" Betty panicked, since she and Tyler had never really had a full conversation before, much less exchanged phone numbers.

"No. Amanda's fine – so I hear. And Mom's good, too - don't worry," he assured her. "I just needed to talk to you."

"Okay . . . What about?" she wondered.

"It's Daniel. I know you guys have been having problems. I just don't want you to give up on him. It's my fault he wouldn't say anything to you about what's been going on. After I found out, I told him he needed to tell you, but he refused. He said he hadn't been there for me in the past, but he wanted to show that he would be from now on," he said.

"I don't understand – are you in some kind of trouble?" she wondered.

"No, uh – Amanda broke up with me. I thought she would've told you?" Tyler assumed.

"No – I haven't heard from her in over a month. Apparently she's been preoccupied . . ." Betty replied.

"Yeah . . ." Tyler scoffed. "She and my other half-brother, Matt, had been getting close while we were still dating."

"Wait – she hooked-up with Matt again?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah – I guess she likes to play 'musical brothers' or something. Anyway, when I saw them together, I lost it. I broke a window and a bunch of other shit in my apartment. Then I went to a bar and had about ten shots. I didn't want Mom to know how bad off I was - she was so proud of me for staying sober. So I called Daniel," he went into detail.

"He mentioned you guys had gotten closer. I'm glad – I never thought he should have taken everything out on you last year," Betty said.

"Thanks. Yeah, we have. He's been trying to get me through all this without anyone knowing about it . . . He tried to track down the only therapist who wouldn't leak anything to the press – that's why those pictures of his ex-girlfriend showed up. Her father specializes in alcoholism - he's kept celebrities who have it out of the media - and he wasn't in the phonebook anymore, but Kimberly was," Tyler explained.

"Oh," Betty responded, wrapping everything around her head. "So is she in the same profession or something?"

"No, but she told us where her father was and got him to fly in from Columbus," he answered. "He's a professor at OSU now."

"So why were she and Daniel all over each other?" she wondered.

"It's not what you think. Daniel and Kimberly had known each other since elementary school. They hadn't seen each other since seventh grade. They dated for a week when Kim's mom died in a car accident. She and her dad moved back to Columbus, where their family was from. She's now an off-Broadway actress, trying to make it big. She and Daniel were just bonding over the past and commiserating over the people they had lost.

"Well, she certainly seemed to be enjoying her time with Daniel and didn't care that he had a girlfriend – or who knows – maybe Daniel didn't even tell her," Betty commented.

"He did," he assured her. "And Kim has a fiancé who's also a struggling actor – they both know how good publicity is for them – whether it's true or not."

"Okay . . . So who was that other girl in the picture? She seemed to be drooling over Daniel even more," Betty questioned.

"That's Keri, Kim's friend. She has a celebrity crush on Daniel, so Kim made a deal in fun to contact her dad, if Daniel agreed to have another dinner, with the two of them. That's why he brought me along," he answered.

"Oh . . . So the reason Daniel couldn't tell me all of this was because you thought I'd tell Claire?" she assumed.

"No – I knew you were friends with Amanda. And we both didn't want you caught in the middle," he clarified. "Please don't be mad at Daniel. He was only trying to help me. You're the best thing that's ever happened to him."

"He said that?" she said, surprised.

"Yeah, he did . . . Look, I know you don't really know me and have no reason to believe any of this, but I'm telling the truth – and so is Daniel. He'd be lost without you. He already was, actually – when he came back from London after you'd turned him down. He'll never admit it, but he was worse than anybody had ever seen him. Mom was scared she'd lose him to a cult again – I guess that's what happened with his wife, right?"

"Molly, yeah," Betty said.

She couldn't believe Daniel would go off the deep-end over _her_. It wasn't like she had been sick or he had thought she was dead or something. Was she really that important to him? Had he really been that in love with her? Had she really hurt him that badly?

"Anyway, we kinda bonded during that time, so I know how much you mean to him. He wouldn't have kept anything from you if he hadn't been trying to prove to me that he really did want to be family – make up for what happened the first time. I'm sorry I got between you guys. You seem really great from what Dan's told me about you," Tyler apologized.

"Thank you. And it's okay - you needed help and family comes first. I'm just glad that Daniel has finally warmed up to you. I never agreed with the way he treated you in the beginning," Betty said.

"Thanks. Hopefully we can get to know each other sometime," he suggested. "Unless you think Amanda would have a problem with it?"

"I wouldn't worry about Amanda – I love her, but unfortunately, she's not too great with the whole commitment thing. I'm really sorry that she hurt you," Betty said. "And I'd love to get to know you, now that Daniel's not so adamantly opposed."

They both laughed.

"Okay, well I just wanted to make sure you knew the truth and didn't take it out on my brother," Tyler said.

"Thank you, Tyler. I hope you get the help you need and everything goes okay," she told him.

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later," he replied.

"Okay. Bye," she said and hung up.

So Daniel was helping Tyler the entire time? And Amanda dumped him for Matt? That explained why she hadn't heard anything from her – she probably had been afraid to tell her – especially since she didn't know about her and Daniel. Daniel . . . _Oh god _. . . the things she had accused him of when he was only trying to help his brother. Obviously, she couldn't blame him for what he had done – if she and Hilda had had a strained relationship like his and Tyler's, she probably would've felt obligated to do the same . . .

She heard keys in the door and looked up.

"Hey, sorry about the mess – still haven't mastered French toast, but I figure McDonald's pancakes could work?" Daniel apologized, setting the holder of coffee on the end table. "And if not, I've got –"

Betty stopped him with an apologetic and loving embrace, causing him to drop the bag of food in his hands.

"Hey . . ." he chuckled. "If I had known you loved pancakes so much, I would've gone to McDonald's in the first place."

She laughed in between soft sobs.

"I'm sorry . . . I-I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions . . ." she sniffled.

"What are you talking about?" Daniel asked, kissing the top of her head, then her forehead and cheeks, wiping away her tears.

"Tyler called . . . He told me everything," she said.

"I _told_ him not to do that . . ." he groaned. "Now you're stuck in the middle of it . . ."

"It's okay. I haven't talked to Amanda in over a month. I can't believe she'd do that to Tyler – that _Matt_ would do that to Tyler . . ." she shook her head.

"Matt doesn't know. Tyler never had a chance to tell him. He just got back from his extended stay in Africa not a week before Amanda decided she wanted him back," Daniel explained.

"Wow . . . neither one of them wasted any time, did they?" Betty shook her head.

"I guess not . . ." he agreed. "And _I_ should be the one apologizing. You've gone out of your way to protect me over the years; I should have known you could've handled this – regardless of who was involved."

"Yes, you should," she teased. "I can take care of things on my own – I've had a ton of experience."

"Hey – I wasn't that bad, was I?" he protested.

She smirked.

"Okay, maybe I was," he grumbled.

"But I loved you anyway," she grinned. "Just do me a favor and don't keep any secrets from me again. I can handle whatever it is."

"Promise," he said. "So are we good, now?"

"We're good," she said, firmly kissing his lips. "Except for one thing."

"What?" he asked worriedly.

"You broke my coffeemaker. How does anyone break a single-cup machine?" she said, crossing her arms in mocked annoyance.

"Hey – that thing's complicated. What made you stop going to Starbucks anyway?" he excused.

"Maybe the insane lines and inflated prices – plus, Hilda and Bobby had one left over from all of their wedding gifts," she answered.

"I'll buy you a new one," he promised.

"You'd better," she joked. "It's worth $150, since it's a deluxe model."

"We can go out and get one today, if it'll make you happy," he chuckled.

"It will. But first I want to take care of two things – breakfast, and welcoming you home," Betty smiled, making a trail of kisses along his collarbone as she removed his jacket.

"Mmm . . . home?" he questioned, teasing her lips. "But I thought we were finding a bigger place?"

As Daniel expertly began mouthing her ear, Betty moved his face to meet hers.

"Daniel?" she said.

"Yeah?" he asked, eyes dancing.

"Shut up," she playfully commanded, pulling him into her.


End file.
